Four journalists covering fund investigation arrested or placed under house arrest

Four journalists covering the capital markets fund investigation have faced legal proceedings: Sözcü newspaper editor Mustafa Balcı and journalist Şaban Sevinç were arrested, while Cumhuriyet columnist Murat Ağırel and journalist İsmail Saymaz were placed under house arrest.

Balcı and Sevinç were drawn into the investigation over posts related to AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, facing accusations of "disseminating misleading information to the public." After being held in custody, both were referred to criminal magistrate courts and arrest warrants were issued against them. Ağırel and Saymaz were initially released under judicial supervision measures, but were subsequently placed under house arrest.

The fund case at the center of the investigation covers capital markets transactions in which numerous investors allegedly suffered losses; discussions continue regarding possible connections to political figures and public officials.

This scale of mass legal action against journalists in Turkey last occurred in 2022 during the Sözcü case. In that process, multiple figures were arrested on grounds of editorial policy, and the cases dragged on for years.